A US study finds that children between the ages of 4 and 7 do not know what they are eating and are unable to identify the origins of common foods.
A survey conducted in 2017 and disseminated by the Journal of Environmental Psycology, confirms that many American children between the ages of four and seven are unable to identify the origins of common foods. While some classify hot dogs and bacon as plants, others consider French fries to be animal products. More precise dietary concepts instilled in this age group could help standardize environmentally friendly diets, the researchers say.
“40%” is the percentage of children who think hot dogs are plants. This information was revealed by psychologists at Furman University in South Carolina, analyzing the responses of 176 children. It also reveals that 41% of respondents are unable to correctly identify the origin of bacon. And oddly enough, 46% of young Americans think French fries come from an animal. In addition to assessing the children’s knowledge of the origin of food, the team looked at which animals and plants could and could not be eaten depending on the subjects. Again, the researchers recorded a lot of confusion. The majority of children think that cows (77%), pigs (73%) and chicken (65%) are not edible.
Environmentally friendly food
The psychologists in charge of the study identified the two roots of the problem. Firstly, the meat paradox comes into play. This is a frequently identifiable contradiction: on the one hand, an individual likes to eat meat, but on the other hand, he dislikes the idea of pain inflicted on animals. In addition, with at least 14.5% greenhouse gas emissions, human consumption of animal products is one of the main drivers of climate change. As such, one of the most effective behaviors to mitigate it would be to consider plant-based foods more. Despite scientific evidence that eating less animal products is a high-impact behavior, many are still hesitant to change their diet. This conclusion leads to say that “Children do not view animals as suitable food sources” states the research team.
So, this new study shows that there are many misconceptions about food at these ages. However, the researchers believe that this could be an opportunity to make a difference.
“Most children in the United States eat animal products, but unlike adults who have built an arsenal of strategies to justify eating animals, children appear to be naive meat eaters.”, Writes the team. “The current study suggests that children eat meat unknowingly and possibly in violation of a prejudice against animals as a food source.
Researchers believe that part of this misunderstanding could be due to the fact that parents do not know where the meat comes from or think it is wrong for children to learn it at such a young age. By being more open about the source of food and by offering more substitutes, researchers are convinced that children will naturally be able to turn to foods that are more respectful of animals and the environment.